So you’re running an ecommerce business, and you have got everything that it takes to thrive and succeed – great products, great prices and a great user experience. You seem to be doing everything right, but somehow, you still haven’t made it to the big league. Or even to the mid-rung, for that matter. If there is any comfort in this, you’re not alone. Given the immense clutter and chatter all around us, be it offline or online, it is rather challenging to stand out amidst all the noise and make your presence felt. And as if this wasn’t enough, ecommerce sites have to deal with an additional layer of challenge – of product and price comparisons with other sites. But maybe that is part of the whole ecommerce deal, and you might have to live with that till there is a way around. But till then, you can definitely focus on what is in your control, and that is to make your business stand out, and thrive.

Let’s get started with the 5 basic things you can do to start moving ahead in the game!

1. Create a visually appealing website design

Kissmetrics says that 93% shoppers value visual appeal when they shop, over other sensory factors. And this becomes true even in the online world, because your website becomes your virtual showroom, and who wouldn’t enjoy browsing through a beautiful space? It is not just the layout, but also the way you present your products, with clear, good resolution photos that allow shoppers to see your products in their best light.

2. Optimize your website for all screens, with responsive design

We can’t stress how important this is today. With more shoppers browsing on mobile devices, it becomes important to ensure a seamless web experience across all devices, and here is where responsive design comes in. If you fail to do this, it is likely that you will lose customers to other, more device-friendly sites. Recent trends among Australians show that people use multiple screens sequentially to complete a task, for instance starting to shop on one device and completing the purchase on another.

This should ideally be done while you’re building your site from the ground up. If you already have a website, then you can choose to optimize it for responsiveness, and you can get in touch with us at RMB for the same.

3. Invest in SEO for long-term results

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is one of the best investments that you can make for long-term effectiveness of your website. And by that, we mean, getting your website to show up for the products that you sell, and getting potential customers to you.

The goal of SEO is to get you the highest rank on the search page, as most people who are searching for something online rarely go past the first page of search results. With consistent SEO work, you can get relevant pages on your website to rank for related words. This means a higher traffic volume, more leads, and consequently, more sales too!

4. Boost visibility and reach with strategic SEM

SEO is a long process, and it takes a few months for the results to start showing. Until that happens, it makes sense to run SEM (campaigns that supplement your SEO strategy. SEM, or Search Engine Marketing, allows you to have your website show up for specific keywords on the first page of search results, for a competitive price. Running on a Pay-Per-Click model, this is a very quick way to amp your website’s reach and visibility for interested audiences. It is best to get an experienced digital strategist to run your SEM campaigns, as it could get rather expensive otherwise.

5.Get social

By putting out relevant and engaging content on social media platforms, you build more channels to reach out to, and connect with your audiences online. It is a wonderful way to be right where your prospects are, and interact with them in a language that they feel comfortable in. What this also helps with is to drive more traffic to your website, which will increase the likelihood of a better SEO ranking for your website. It is best to keep publishing regular and interesting content on your page for higher engagement.

For help with any or all of these techniques, feel free to reach out to us at RMB.